Troubleshoots

The garage was just like any other mechanic shop Lucky had seen in his life on Earth. Although it was huge, they used mostly the same tools as they did from where he came from before this world. The only difference was the cars in it. 

The monster truck, Rex, was already given. But all the other vehicles were all unique in terms of appearance. Lucky walked around in each of them, impressed by what he was seeing so far. He couldn't help but want to test-drive all of them. 

"Well." He smacked his lips, snapping his eyes at the small office inside the garage. From outside, he could see Jehnid through the wide glass.

"Hey there," greeted Lucky as he opened the door before knocking. Much to his amazement, Jehnid was working on the projected computer. 

The screen was the entire booth, showing numbers and programs Lucky didn't understand. In the middle was a small 3D projection of the monster truck. 

"Cool." Lucky furrowed his brows, walking back from a distance to see if he was seeing wrong the first time. When he confirmed that from the outside, no one knew what Jehnid was doing, Lucky's mouth fell in awe.

"Cool," he nodded approvingly before walking back to the booth. "This place is amazing."

Jehnid didn't bother with him. His focus was on the problem he was trying to fix. Since Lucky didn't want to disturb the man "that much" he leaned his side against the jamb. 

"So, you're fixing Rex?" Lucky stated the obvious, peeking in the direction of the monster truck. Rex was parked on a platform with some spotlight in each of its four corners. "So, that's the scanner?"

"What do you think a scanner is?" Jehnid replied coldly, still keeping most of his focus on his work. 

"What do I think a scanner is?" Lucky glanced up and rubbed his chin. "Something like a scanner and not just a spotlight?"

"I don't know which universe you came from, but those lights aren't simply lights," said Jehnid. "And since we're lacking in resources, we only have to work on whatever we got in here."

"But Ant Hill seemed like it was flourishing more than other factions."

This time, Jehnid cast him a look. "Have you been in other factions?"

"Nope."

"Then don't say that we're better than other factions."

"So, you're saying this place isn't the best?"

"No. It's the best place in this land." Jehnid multitasked. "All I'm saying is not to say anything without anything to back it up."

Lucky scrunched up his nose. "I thought I'm already a dick, but I guess someone here is good at it too."

Jehnid ignored him for a moment. "When you were using Rex, did you feel anything amiss?"

"No aircon?" Lucky shrugged when Jehnid looked at him. "I'm not sure what you guys are looking for, but for me, it was okay. The screen is just a little distracting — especially the warnings."

"Warnings are supposed to be noticed."

"Are they also supposed to kill someone?"

"What do you mean?" Jehnid looked at him, curious. 

"You… have you ever driven Rex?" Lucky squinted his eyes, and by the looks of it, Jehnid's answer was an obvious 'no.' "If you're a driver, you want to focus on the road. But if all the warnings are filling up the screen, the driver might as well drive himself to his death than get away from the danger."

Lucky shook his head, marching inside the booth. He looked closer at the projection of the truck, sighing as he understood nothing of it. 

"Anyway, the usual warnings are fine, but on the battlefield, the screen is being filled with unnecessary warnings," he shared, though his opinion was nothing but a personal preference. "It'll be fine if you put it in the corner or maybe a higher transparency."

"So, the warnings are simply distracting, huh?"

"My point is they are helpful, but too much is distracting."

"I see." Jehnid quickly moved on to the corner desk, jotting down the notes. "Anything else?"

Lucky rubbed his chin as he pondered. There wasn't anything he wanted to add in Rex aside from an AC because it was already perfect as it was. But if he could think of anything else, that might make his life more convenient. 

"I can't think of anything else so far," Lucky gave up. "But we can make a test run so you can observe it."

Jehnid's brows slowly rose. "A test run?"

"Don't tell me you haven't done that?" 

"No, but the surrounding areas of Ant Hill are mostly cleared by the gatekeepers."

"Then join me in the next scouting area," Lucky proposed nonchalantly. "My only job here is to drive that monster and clear the area. Clearing an area with whatever I am given is my only role, but you, if you really want Rex to work so much better, you have to be in the situation."

Reluctance shone in Jehnid's eyes, but he looked as though he was reconsidering. There was also fear laced beneath his eyes, mixing along with excitement at the thought. 

"From what I heard, this department is being looked down on," Lucky added, recalling Terenei's statement regarding the scouting unit. "So far, all your creations are only being used for scouting areas, and then the gatekeepers or lieutenants get all the credits."

The corner of Lucky's mouth hooked up into a smirk. "That's insulting, even for me as a mere driver. Or do you agree with them and don't have any trust in your creation?"

For a while, Jehnid could only stare at Lucky quietly. It was true this area was being looked down on by other departments. After all, their works were simply considered good for scouting. This explained their lower budget compared to other departments, like the gatekeepers' research. No one would ever believe one of their product could clear a demon-ridden area without the help of the armor suits if Lucky didn't trust Rex or dared to do it. 

But even with that, there were comments that it was just a fluke or that it was because Lucky was a Visitor. 

"Do you think… these boys can do so much better without an armor suit's help?" Jehnid blurted out quietly, watching Lucky arch a brow before he smirked. 

"So much better?" Lucky repeated. "No, but they'll be good enough to clear out areas or drive past a demon-ridden area without a reroute. At least, it won't be put on the sidelines anymore. So, want to give it a try?"

Jehnid stared at Lucky with determination, and after a moment, he nodded. "As long as I can take away those smug looks on those guys' faces, let's do it."